From the alarming ethics of Justice Alito's communications with Trump to Putin's calculated strategy to divide Western allies, today we tackle the debate over presidential immunity, the political maneuvering behind Trump's sentencing, and the Supreme Court's involvement in these landmark cases. The conversation expands to expose how media-manufactured support, territorial ambitions involving Canada, and corporate control over insulin pricing connect to reveal larger truths about power and democracy. All of these threads give a clear picture of how nationalism and fossil fuel interests shape our political reality.

Every Friday, Tristan’s answering question from all of you. This week:

• Musk’s congressional meddling: Legal? Doubtful.

• Trump’s wall and economic fixes: All talk, no action.

• Keeping democracy alive under Trump 2.0: We’ve got options.

Got questions? Hit up Tristan on Substack (TristanSnell.com) or Bluesky (@TristanSnell.bsky.social).

Let’s keep this democracy thing going.

In the first episode of 2025, we dive into the legal mess that was the Manhattan DA's handling of Donald Trump's prosecution – and how it nearly slipped through the system's fingers. Tristan pulls back the curtain on the office politics, cold feet, and bureaucratic tap dancing that turned a clear-cut campaign finance case into a years-long waiting game. From Michael Cohen's explosive testimony to the eventual trial, he walks us through the behind-the-scenes story of how career prosecutors finally got their shot at justice, despite the higher-ups' best efforts to slow-walk the case into oblivion. Plus, Snell offers a fresh take on Jimmy Carter's environmental legacy and what it teaches us about political courage. It's an honest look at how the justice system works – or doesn't – when powerful figures are in the hot seat.